tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16776506.post6455160952945508042..comments2023-10-30T04:44:39.080-04:00Comments on Groggyland: Tough loveKBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12008275744569546898noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16776506.post-60654051578112052472008-04-22T15:00:00.000-04:002008-04-22T15:00:00.000-04:00Yup. Hard to do. I don't know how many times I've ...Yup. Hard to do. I don't know how many times I've left a cart at the grocery store or paid for a half-eaten dinner because a screaming child was screwing it up for everyone around us. But it seems to be paying off. Just last week the lady who runs SACC (where my kids are after school) thanked me for raising children who listen to adults. I waited for the punchline for a minute before I realized she was serious. As hard as it is, pick your tolerance level and stick with it. It'll pay off.<BR/>Chris<BR/>www.ChrisMoreau.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16776506.post-20627868478892619262008-04-17T11:40:00.000-04:002008-04-17T11:40:00.000-04:00I think you've definitely got things in perspectiv...I think you've definitely got things in perspective. Andy, besides having a bad case of Being Three, also has a new sister to adjust to, and all that comes with it. You are helping him by making your expectations clear and by setting and enforcing them. Hang in there, and remember, tomorrow is another day.Midwesthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09037402608009195098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16776506.post-45286683747180941402008-04-17T02:59:00.000-04:002008-04-17T02:59:00.000-04:00"Oy Vey" sounds about right for this one. I feel ..."Oy Vey" sounds about right for this one. I feel (have personally felt!) your pain -- but it sounds like even though it was a tough afternoon, you did the absolute right thing. Henry is a tough kid for me. Using the description "strong willed" doesn't come close to this kid! There are many times when I recall the old Bill Cosby line "I brought you in to this world and I can take you out"!!! And don't beat yourself up over the swat thing - - it happens. I hate to admit it - - but with Henry, sometimes it was the only thing that would snap him out of his rage long enough for me to take other more reasonable actions (like putting him in his room or trying to decide what it was that was meaningful enough to take away from him so that my message was clear). Remember he is 3. Far from the age of reason and he is now learning that manipulation by behavior is either gonna work for him or NOT. This works best if your reaction is swift and concise - - exactly what you did by leaving the restaurant. Exactly what you did by following through all the way home and in to his room. If you had relented - - what would that message have been? Now that Henry is nine - - I wish I could say that we never find ourselves in the same situations. (You don't know how much I wish). Now I can reason with him a little longer. But the bottom line is that sometimes I still need to take swift action and help him from himself. Oh, wait - - I think I remember that I had to do that with Shannon until the time that she left for college - - Oh, crap. 10 more years...wendy wisniewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12041000909140311866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16776506.post-24935762510409101072008-04-16T21:25:00.000-04:002008-04-16T21:25:00.000-04:00Oh Katherine. Joy. just joy. So sorry that happ...Oh Katherine. Joy. just joy. So sorry that happened. I know what you mean about the tough love thing. I sometimes feel like I am a bit tough on George but hey. Give an inch and they take a mile. OK, not always but? Of course George did tell me the other day when I said I was going out to run errands (Mary was asleep)- ok, mom, I like dad better anyway... nice. Thank goodness, I still see the love bug that he is MOST of the time. We are in the throws of quitting napping and OH VEY. getting emotional at night on that one...<BR/><BR/>Hugs to all, and especially to you. I HATE those meltdowns. sounds like yours was BAD. REAL bad.<BR/><BR/>FrancesFhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07892182450927821331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16776506.post-44204275518028810072008-04-16T19:39:00.000-04:002008-04-16T19:39:00.000-04:00Oh, man, that sounds so incredibly tough. When I d...Oh, man, that sounds so incredibly tough. When I did my student teaching, I always said I was great at the teaching part but sucked at the discipline part--I think it is by far the hardest thing to do and to keep your cool while doing it requires a lot of patience. It sounds like you have a good plan in place about handling the whining--and if that doesn't work, you could always sell him to the circus. (What? Is that wrong?)Jenn Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11827355390193800963noreply@blogger.com